For the 32 wrestlers selected for the WWE Cruiserweight Classic, many of them were aware that the competition would be their only chance to exhibit their skills. Not knowing whether WWE would be interested in bringing them in permanently, the very least that each performer could think of is their exposure would gain them a heightened interest for independent bookings.

Over the past few weeks, WWE Raw has featured weekly matches from the exclusive cruiserweight division. With the champion, TJ Perkins, at the helm, the cruiserweights have shown how bringing the division back has given the wrestlers an opportunity to shine.

With the brand split occurring in mid-July, one-third of Raw‘s roster was removed exclusively to SmackDown. While this was an exciting decision for many, especially those who were being overshadowed by a deep roster, it left a major void to fill for three hours of programming on a Monday evening. Thankfully, it was announced that the cruiserweight division would find a home on Raw, making it exclusive to that brand. Moreover, many superstars in this division also found opportunities competing for the NXT brand.

WWE released a list of names who were going to be called up to Raw for the division. As reported by WrestleZone, these names included the team of Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa, Noam Dar (who all have yet to appear on Raw) Cedric Alexander, Rich Swann, and Brian Kendrick, along with the champion, TJ Perkins.

However, others were not aware if they were going to be granted an opportunity beyond the tournament.

For instance, CWC competitor Ariya Daivari stated on a recent episode of the Pancakes and PowerslamsShow that he was unsure about his future with WWE.

“As far as I know, it seems like a one-time thing. I don’t know what their plans are. A lot of people assume they tell us everything. The cruiserweight division being exclusive to Raw was a surprise to me. I didn’t know that, they didn’t tell us that. They really just tell you things as they go. I would like to think, or at least hope, that at some point maybe I’ll do something else. But, as of right now, as far as my knowledge goes, it’s just that one match.”

After his loss against Ho Ho Lun in the opening bout of the CWC, Daivari returned back to wrestling for independent promotions, as well as preparing to become a lead trainer for the upcoming pro wrestling training facility, The Academy: School of Professional Wrestling. Fortunately, he was given another opportunity to compete for WWE when he teamed with Sean Maluta against the Bollywood Boyz for a match that aired during the CWC finale. Although once again on the losing end, he made a positive impression on the fans and backstage personnel.

Daivari was able to leverage his appearances and gain an opportunity to compete against WWE Cruiserweight Champion TJ Perkins on Raw. Still, there were fans who wondered if this was a one-off appearance. Thankfully, Daivari was in for a sweet surprise. In fact, he is now listed on the current roster, according to the WWE website.

His brother, former WWE superstar and TNA X Division Champion Shawn Daivari, showed his appreciation for the company giving Ariya a roster spot through social media.

Moments like this are indeed why people give their all in this business with hopes of making it to the big league. For Daivari, he sacrificed 10 years of competing for independent promotions, not sure if he would ever make it to the WWE. However, with confidence in his ability, combined with a wrestling pedigree, he was able to achieve something that thousands of others dream about, and Ariya landed a spot on the WWE roster.